TheCable

The federal government has presented documents of the apartment promised to Clemens Westerhof, former Super Eagles’ chief coach, 25 years after he led his team to continental glory.

Babatunde Fashola, the minister of power, works and housing, who made the presentation on behalf of government, said it was regrettable that a promise took so long to redeem.

“It is unfortunate that this is a promise that has taken us so long to redeem. But it is indeed better late than never in this case,’’ he said.

NAN reports that Westerhof, a native of Holland, had in 1994 led the senior male national football team to Nigeria’s second continental triumph.

The team had won the Africa Cup of Nations at Tunisia, coming 14 years after the first triumph in Lagos in 1980.

His team went on to shock the world at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the U.S., where they lost in the second round 1-2 to Italy after extra time.

Fashola said Nigeria as a country and all Nigerians as a group are grateful to the Dutchman because he really did the country proud with his achievements.

“I thank Westerhof on behalf of all of us for the services he rendered to Nigeria, and we are proud that he has come to receive the documents alive,’’ he said.

The minister went on to disclose that Westerhof’s apartment was under renovation and he would only get the keys after the apartment was ready for occupation.

In his response, Westerhof said he was highly surprised and thankful that he was finally getting the apartment which is in Gwagwalada in the Gwagwalada area council of the FCT.

“I am thankful to you all, and now I can feel myself more of a Nigerian now. I can now stay here when it is so cold back there in Europe,” he said.

“I also thank God for this blessing of being invited here today to collect my papers. I hope I will soon get my keys, because you never know with Nigeria.’’

The former Super Eagles chief coach assured that Nigerians would now see him more in Nigeria, because “this is my second fatherland’’.

“I got a lot of support here, from the late Gen. sani Abacha, the late Augustus Aikhomu and many others everywhere,’’ he said.

“Nigeria is a country where people love to win at all times, and Nigerians were not ready for any nonsense.”

“This was very clear to my players, and that is why we were able to move the country from number 79 on the rankings to number five by the end of the World Cup.

“But my trainings were hard and tough, but the players still coped.’’

Westerhof then expressed regrets at the death of some members of the team, such as Rashidi Yekini, Uche Okafor, Thompson Oliha and Stephen Keshi, and prayed for the repose of their souls.